Hensley rallies to win playoff for WOGA stroke play title

By Mike Moguin

BROKEN ARROW — Amber Hensley was prepared for the runner-up finish. Instead, she finished out on top Tuesday in the WOGA Mid-Am and Stroke Play at The Club at Indian Springs.

Hensley thought she was one stroke behind first-round leader Samantha Stewart after completion of the 18th hole in the second round. But she found out she (73-73) was tied with Stewart (71-75) at 146 and a playoff was needed.

Hensley made a 10-foot birdie putt on the first playoff hole and was immediately embraced by family members.

 "I didn’t think I was going to get it," Hensley said. "I thought I was going have to settle for second. It was definitely a battle out there. It wasn’t really a battle with (Stewart), it was a more a battle with myself.

"Golf is all about a battle with yourself. It’s not with the players in the field. You’re just trying to beat yourself and beat the course," she said.

A member of Jenks’ four-time state championship teams from 2004-07, and an individual medalist her senior year, Hensley entered the day two shots behind Stewart and was down by four shots early in the back-nine. But Stewart made some bogeys, including one on No. 15, and Hensley birdied the par-3 16th which led to the tie.

"I had a chatterbox in my head and it just kept talking to me," Hensley said. "And I had to keep talking to myself to slow my pace down. I was constantly trying to stay in the moment. It was getting tiring, but I stayed patient and it ended up coming up pretty good."

Fresh off graduation at Oral Roberts University, Hensley had to overcome an obstacle at 18 when she made a shot that landed in a sand trap.

"I was about 88 yards out and the ball was barely in the sand, and my feet were outside the sand," Hensley said. "And I was thinking there was no way I was going to get that on the green. So I had to manipulate a wedge in there and hope it got on the green and it did. I had a tremendous putt coming back, still, it was enough to get me a par.

Hensley overcame bogeys she made on holes five, six and seven. But she picked the pace back up and and shot 1-under for the match.

Third place was where Hensley finished in last year’s event, while Stewart’s sister, Alex, was the champion.

It wasn’t the first time the new WOGA stroke-play champion played at The Club at Indian Springs. She has played many tournaments with the AJGA and as a player at ORU on the course. She is also last year’s match-play champion and will be defending her title this year.

2013 WOGA Stroke Play/Mid Am Championship

Hosted by:  The Club at Indian Springs Broken Arrow

Rank    Player Name        Rnd 1    Rnd 2    Total

T1    Amber Hensley        73-73–146

T1    Samantha Stewart    71-75–146

3    Lauren Michael        78-76–154

4    Kendra Mann        77-79–156

5    Kailey Campbell        78-80–158

T6    Taylor Neidy        77-82–159

T6    Katy Treadwell        83-76–159

8    Nadia Majidi        87-73–160

T9    Whitney Hocutt        81-80–161

T9    Laurie MakesCry        80-81–161

11    Brandy Jo Gray        80-82–162

T12    Karson Bizzell        84-79–163

T12    Nan Dyer        82-81–163

T14    Charter Lawson        83-82–165

T14    Kelly Fuchik        86-79–165

T14    Katie-Lee Wilson    87-78–165

T14    Maddy Haley        79-86–165

18    Janet Miller        84-82–166

19    Rebecca Davis        83-84–167

T20    Jaime Branch        88-80–168

T20    Teresa DeLarzelere    83-85–168

22    Shannen Stewart        86-83–169

T23    Abby Thompson        89-82–171

T23    Jen Hays        82-89–171

T23    Kasi Kinzie        82-89–171

26    Ann Cowan        82-90–172

27    Chrissy Bagwell        89-85–174

28    Jann Fouke        90-86–176

29    Macy Douglas        94-85–179

30    Ann Watkins        99-92–191

31    Jo Glenn        96-97–193

32    Linda Ballard        99-98–197

33    Rachel Fogleman        96-102–198

Flight A               

T1    Jennifer Hoyt    86-79–165   

    Sherri Buster    83-82–165   

T3    Cherie Rich    87-89–176   

    Pam Bonifield    91-85–176       

    Patty Monroe    91-85–176   

6    Ann Turner    91-86–177   

T7    Elaine Davis    87-93–180       

    Lien Alsup    94-86–180   

9    Dana Hurley    88-95–183       

10    Joyce Washam    98-93–191   

T11    Darian Kedy    94-98–192   

    Kathlyn Smith    97-95–192       

13    Jeanette Kiser    105-101–206

Flight B

1    Melanie Robson    90-87–177

2    Missy Long    94-89–183

T3    Diane Doornbos    96-88–184

    Sharon Stieber    91-93–184

5    Susan Kraft    88-98–186

T6    Carolyn Martin    98-90–188

    Connie Kelsey    91-97–188

T8    C. Hazelwood    98-93–191

    Susie Willard    94-97–191

10    Janet McMillin    100-96–196

T11    Becky Masoner    106-95–201

    Susie Ellegard    104-97–201

Flight C               

1    Louise Johnson    102-93–195   

2    LaDonna Zeiders    100-96–196   

3    Linda Phillips    98-101–199   

4    Susan Hall    107-95–202   

5    Andrea Lewis    102-101–203   

T6    Janice Nagle    106-98–204   

    Patti McKinnon    109-95–204

8    Diane Daniels    101-107–208   

9    Sammie Garrett    105-104–209   

10    B Armstrong    111-105–216   

11    Misty Greeson    105-112–217

Flight D

1    Sandra Groves    94-101–195

2    Ann Fields    98-104–202

3    Sue Meiler    108-104–212

T4    Angie Gau    108-105–213

    L Roggendorff    103-110–213

6    G Radigonda    116-104–220

T7    Kay Graves    109-113–222

    Shirley Cooper    112-110–222

9    Nadine Lewis    125-108–233

10    Lynda French    132-145–277